CC Minutes - 06/25/07 City Council Meeting

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Robert Olsen , 32810 Sisters Loop, called it a “no brainer” to preserve the Beverly/Green properties. He believed the properties to be unique. He averred that 94 percent of the South Hills was covered with housing with only “a little scrap in the corner” left. He felt that given that people had to fight to preserve it Eugene no longer deserved its reputation for being environmentally friendly. He called the issue regarding park land “disingenuous.” He felt that removing the golf course and the Ridgeline Trail from the roster would demonstrate that South Eugene had very little park land. Tom Halferty , 4510 Manzanita Street, thought it was a good idea to take another month to consider taking eminent domain of the two South Hills properties. He felt the value of the land had been inflated based on the number of houses that could allegedly be constructed on it. He disagreed with it. He showed a Lidar picture of the land which he asserted indicated the instability of the hillside. He provided the council with the Lidar image and other pictures. David Thor Johnson , 4986 Hunters Glen Drive, asked the councilors to walk the Beverly/Green properties with him. He thanked the councilors who supported using eminent domain to acquire the properties. He believed it was a courageous stand to take. He opined that houses built on the properties would not last. He also wished to thank City Manager Dennis Taylor for his service. Alice Pueschner , 1512 Barber Drive, said she was “not quite a NIMBY” but she did hike on the Bevery and Green properties. She commented that she would hate to think of the properties “going to developers.” She believed they were an essential part of the city of Eugene. She acknowledged that some people thought the south hills had too much park land and countered that the south hills was “the loveliest part of Eugene.” She declared that people who did not think they had enough park land in their neighborhoods should agitate for more. She said the neighborhood had worked hard to save the Beverly/Green properties. Ted Leadguard , 5205 Cold Springs Way, said he had just purchased property in Eugene. He related that he used to live in Virginia, 50 miles from Washington, DC. He said the area had been developed rapidly and described the ensuing detrimental effects mostly due to the contamination of an aquifer by uphill develop- ment. He asked that the council please see the importance of the watershed to Eugene. th Majeska Seese-Green , Van Buren Street and 5 Avenue, thanked the Mayor and the councilors who “worked to protect the headwaters for the whole city.” She noted her disagreement with an article in the paper written by former Eugene Mayor Jeff Miller that opined that the current mayor was not the “Mayor for all Eugene.” She asserted that there would be plenty of the bond money for parks if the “developers would do the right thing” and not try to gain the highest dollar value from the land. She declared that Mr. Green should be an Eugenean for all Eugene and not an Eugenean for “[his] own pocketbook.” Rob Handy , 455-½ River Road, said he was delighted to serve on the West Broadway Advisory Commit- tee. He commented that his partner was a first grade teacher, in part because she liked to be able to influence children at an age where they have to start figuring out how to have relationships and discipline in their lives. He thought the City was starting to understand the value of transparent public participation. He expressed concern that staff members were attempting to “take a narrow view of the motion” that directed the formation of the committee. He noted that the council motion directed that the consultant hired would perform a market analysis and economic feasibility studies in order to inform the committee deliberations. He felt the committee was getting “some push back” from staff members regarding the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). MINUTES—Eugene City Council June 25, 2007 Page 3 Regular Meeting